1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to check processing. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for a check reader to process checks that are not aligned correctly or are upside down.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Check depositing in automated banking machines are known in the prior art. Automatic banking machines are used to carry out transactions of value. A popular type of automated banking machine is an automated teller machine (ATM). Other types of automated banking machines are used to count and dispense cash. These machines are often used by tellers or customer service representatives in banking and other transaction environments. Other types of automated banking machines are used to make or receive payments, to dispense or receive tickets, travelers checks, scrip, cash, or other documents or items of value, or to electronically check or transfer funds.
Some ATM machines have the capability of receiving checks and other negotiable instruments. Such machines may include a device such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,467. Devices of this type can be used to cancel and produce electronic images of checks which are deposited into an ATM machine. The canceled checks are stored in the machine for later removal by bank personnel.
While such automated banking machines have been available for awhile and have experienced improvements, there still are some drawbacks. There still is not available a convenient and efficient technique for allowing an entire stack of checks to be deposited, regardless of the orientation of each of the checks in the stack.
A discussion on some of the prior art of currency and document orientation and sorting follows. For example, M. Owens, H. T. Graef, J. Eastman, M. Harty, and A. Junkins, U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,638, Automated Banking Machine with Currency Recycling Canisters (Dec. 26, 2000) discuss an automated banking machine identifying and storing documents, such as currency bills deposited by a user. The machine then selectively recovers such documents from storage and dispenses them to other users. The machine includes a central transport wherein documents deposited in a stack are unstacked, oriented, and identified. Such documents are then routed to particular storage areas in recycling canisters. When a user subsequently requests a dispense, documents stored in the storage areas are selectively picked therefrom and delivered to the user through an input/output area of the machine.
As another example, M. Force, T. H. Graef, R. Bowser, J. Eastman, M. Harty, A. Junkins, M. E. Lindroos, M. Owens, M. Ryan, A. Looney, and R. Shirah, U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,939, Method of Operating a Self-Auditing Automated Banking Machine (Jun. 8, 2004) similarly discuss an automated banking machine that identifies and stores documents such as currency bills deposited by a user. The machine selectively recovers stored documents and dispenses them. The machine includes a central transport wherein documents deposited in a stack are unstacked, oriented, and identified. Such documents are then routed to storage areas in. Documents in the storage areas are selectively picked therefrom and delivered to a user. Each canister includes a memory which holds information concerning the number and type of documents housed in the canister as well as other information concerning the hardware and software resident on the canister. The memory also includes data representative of individuals responsible for loading and transporting the canister. The machine conducts self-auditing activities to verify that the documents held in the storage areas correspond to the information stored in memory and indicate discrepancies.
In a third example, D. C. McGlamery, K. G. Harrington, R. M. Parsons, and R. G. Belchler, U.S. 2005/0139671, Method and System for Exception Processing of MICR Documents (Jun. 30, 2005) discuss a system and method for exception processing of MICR documents. MICR documents are read and sorted to a destination pocket for processing subject to a determination that an exception does not prevent the routing of the document. In example embodiments, for example, an error does not prevent the routing of the document if it is not related to the routing/transit field. In the case of digit errors, an optical character recognition (OCR) process is performed on the stored, electronic image of the document to correct digit errors in the stored data read from the documents. If a determination is made that correction or other exception processing cannot be handled through the OCR process, the image and corresponding MICR data is displayed on a user terminal, for manual verification or correction by reference to an image of the document, rather than the document itself.
As can be gleaned from the above, while there has been some development and progress in the handling of recycling currency or other sheets or documents representative of value received from a customer, or MICR line exception processing, such teachings nevertheless still lack the contemplation of allowing a set of checks to be deposited as a stack where each check can be oriented in sixteen different ways, without having to later re-orient any check.
It would therefore be advantageous to allow a set of checks to be deposited as a stack where each check can be oriented in sixteen different ways without having to later re-orient any check.